Automated System for Applying Disinfectant to the Teats of Dairy Livestock

1. A system for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock, comprising: a carriage mounted on a track, the carriage operable to move along the track; a robotic arm, comprising: a first member pivotally attached to the carriage such that the first member may rotate about a point of attachment to the carriage; a second member pivotally attached to the first member such that the second member may rotate about a point of attachment to the first member; and a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member such that the spray tool member may rotate about a point of attachment to the second member; a first actuator coupled to the carriage, the first actuator operable to cause movement of the carriage along the track; a second actuator coupled to the carriage and the first member, the second actuator operable to cause rotation of the first member about the point of attachment to the carriage; a third actuator coupled to the first member and the second member, the third actuator operable to cause rotation of the second member about the point of attachment to the first member; a fourth actuator coupled to the second member and the spray tool member, the fourth actuator operable to cause rotation of the spray tool member about the point of attachment to the second member; and a controller operable to cause at least a portion of the robotic arm to extend between the hind legs of a dairy livestock such that a spray tool coupled to the spray tool member is located at a spray position from which the spray tool may discharge an amount of disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the track is positioned adjacent to a rotary milking platform, the dairy livestock being located in a stall of the rotary milking platform.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the spray tool comprises a linear member having a spray nozzle positioned at each end, the spray tool operable to rotate about a point of attachment to the spray tool member.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a three-dimensional camera operable to generate an image signal corresponding to a portion of the dairy livestock, wherein the controller is operable to process the image signal to determine the spray position.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein: the track is mounted adjacent to a rotary milking platform having a rotary encoder operable to generate a rotary encoder signal based at least in part upon the rotational speed of the rotary milking platform; and the controller is further operable to: access the rotary encoder signal; and communicate a signal to the first actuator, the signal causing extension of the first actuator at a rate that causes the carriage to move along the track in relation to the rotary milking platform at a speed based at least in part upon the rotational speed of the rotary milking platform.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to cause at least a portion of the robotic arm to extend between the hind legs of the dairy livestock such that the spray tool is located at the spray position by communicating signals to the second and third actuators, each signal causing either extension or retraction of the actuator to which the signal is communicated.

7. A system for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock, comprising: a carriage mounted on a track positioned adjacent to a rotary milking platform, the carriage operable to translate laterally along the track; a robotic arm, comprising: a first member pivotally attached to the carriage such that the first member may rotate about a point of attachment to the carriage; a second member pivotally attached to the first member such that the second member may rotate about a point of attachment to the first member; and a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member such that the spray tool member may rotate about a point of attachment to the second member; a three-dimensional camera operable to generate an image signal corresponding to the rear of a dairy livestock located in a stall of the rotary milking platform; a first actuator coupled to the carriage, the first actuator operable to cause movement of the carriage along the track; a second actuator coupled to the carriage and the first member, the second actuator operable to cause rotation of the first member about the point of attachment to the carriage; a third actuator coupled to the first member and the second member, the third actuator operable to cause rotation of the second member about the point of attachment to the first member; a fourth actuator coupled to the second member and the spray tool member, the fourth actuator operable to cause rotation of the spray tool member about the point of attachment to the second member; and a controller operable to: process the image signal to determine a spray position from which a spray tool coupled to the spray tool member may discharge an amount of disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock; and cause at least a portion of the robotic arm to extend between the hind legs of a dairy livestock such that the spray tool is located at the spray position.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the spray tool comprises a linear member having a spray nozzle positioned at each end, the spray tool operable to rotate about the point of attachment to the spray tool member.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further operable to: receive a rotary encoder signal from a rotary encoder of the rotary milking platform, the rotary encoder signal based at least in part upon the rotational speed of the rotary milking platform; communicate a signal to the first actuator, the signal causing operation of the first actuator at a rate that causes the carriage to translate laterally along the track in relation to the rotary milking platform at a speed based at least in part upon the rotational speed of the rotary milking platform.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further operable to cause at least a portion of the robotic arm to extend between the hind legs of the dairy livestock such that the spray tool is located at the spray position by communicating signals to the second and third actuators, each signal causing operation of the actuator to which the signal is communicated.